Sixers Collect First Road Win Over New York Knicks on Saturday

For the first time this season, the Philadelphia 76ers hit the road. After taking care of business in the season-opener against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, the Sixers took a trip to the Big Apple to face the New York Knicks in an empty Madison Square Garden arena for a Saturday night showdown.

The Sixers, who had tons of success against the Knicks last year, didn't miss a step this season as they faced an inferior, short-handed opponent on Saturday. Although New York did get off to a rather hot start as Knicks forward Julius Randle scored 11 of his 18 first-half points in the first quarter, Sixers center Joel Embiid countered his production.

Through the first two quarters, Embiid followed-up his dominant opening night performance as he accounted for 20 points in 16 minutes of action. Once again, outside of Embiid, the Sixers' offense looked slightly out of sorts early on.

But the starting lineup made up for it in the second half. Right out of the gate in the third quarter, the 76ers started to click offensively with stellar ball movement and consistent shooting. As Philly outscored New York 26-14 in the third quarter, the 76ers built up a strong lead heading into the final quarter.

Last season, the Sixers struggled to secure victories on the road, but a Doc Rivers-led 76ers team got off to a good start for their first road matchup of the year. As Embiid continued to dominate by collecting 27 points, he also received reliable offensive help from the first-year Sixer, Seth Curry, as he knocked down 6 of his shots for 17 points.

In addition to a strong offensive showing, the 76ers also dominated on the defensive side of the ball. Ben Simmons, who matched up with Knicks' second-year star RJ Barrett made it difficult for the former Duke product to get going. Barrett, who averaged 14 points-per-game last season, collected just 10 points on Saturday.

The 76ers dominated on both sides of the ball on Saturday, and the Knicks were hardly a match for a majority of the night. After a strong showing, the 76ers moved to 2-0 on Saturday with a 109-89 victory over the Knicks, picking up their first road win of the season before they head to Cleveland for a back-to-back matchup with the Cavs.